Companions
by SeththeGreat
Summary: While the Ashen One travels solo during his journey, he's never truly alone. Even when the world is near its end, there's room for friendships to be made. This is a story of the Ashen One and his companions, who make his gruesome journey just a bit easier.
1. The Thief

_Location: High Wall of Lothric_

The Ashen One entered a building, only to move a little further and find himself up against a Lothric Knight wielding a spear and greatshield. The Ashen One groaned, these Knights were no pushovers. Examining his combat style, the Ashen One quickly noticed that this one was much more defensive than his straight sword wielding brethren. He had to get through that shield. After blocking a few spear thrusts, he went into his stance with his Longsword and performed an upward slash, breaking the guard of the knight. He quickly moved in and performed a riposte, killing the knight.

Moving forward he heard footsteps, and quickly turned to the left and defended himself from a Hollow that tried to ambush him. After blocking the attack, he slayed the Hollow with two slashes. He moved downstairs and examined the floor below him. There were three big Hollows patrolling the area, two with Greataxes and another with a halberd. There was also a dog patrolling as well. He also saw an Estus shard laying around. He definitely needed to grab that. On the same floor he was on there was a Hollow resting. He had a clear view of the lower floor, he could be a sniper of some kind. The Ashen One wasn't going to take any chances, so he made his way to that Hollow. Along the way he stumbled upon another one resting next to a treasure chest. He quickly backstabbed it without raising attention, and then opened the chest to get a shield. Then he killed the "sniper"; checking the body he found firebombs on him.

Then the Ashen One noticed there were oil barrels scattered across the lower floor. He realized he could put those firebombs to good use. Chucking a bomb at one of the barrels, it blew the dog and an Axe wielding Hollow across the room, killing them. The other two Hollows looked around frantically to find the attacker. The Ashen One tosses another firebomb at a barrel right next to the greataxe Hollow, eliminating him. The Ashen One leaped down and cut down the halberd Hollow with a plunging attack.

 _Good. Time to get that shard._

After procuring the shard, the Ashen One heard a growl ahead of him. He saw a stair case going down, and assumed that's where the sound came from. Shield raised and sword gripped he slowly moved forward. Looking down the small staircase, he saw a large dog near a body. The dog turned and barked at him. The Ashen One quickly cut down the creature before it could attack.

Walking over to the corpse the dog was guarding, he pillaged a key from it.

 _A key? What is it for…wait, I think I saw a prison cell earlier. Maybe this unlocks it._

Returning to the tower where he found the second bonfire of the area, the Ashen One made his way to the bottom floor. Slaying the enemies in his path, he finally made it to the cell. A man with a strange hood placed on his head was locked inside. Using the key he opened the cell and entered.

"Hey. Are you alright?" He asked the slouching prisoner. The man looked up to see his rescuer.

"Ahh, you're no jailer are you? No, no, you're from far away. And judging by the bell… You must be some of that unkindled ash." The prisoner spoke.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Remarkable, if that's true, then I have a favor to ask."

"Alright. What is it?"

"Below the High Wall is a musty little town. Not the home of any lord, just a very old settlement of Undead. An old woman, Loretta, lives there. Please give her this ring." The prisoner requested and showed the Ashen One a ring with a blue gem in the shape of a tear on it. He picked it up and examined it.

"I- I am not asking for charity. In fa- in fact if you do this for me… I'll be sure to pay you in kind." He offered. "I-I may be a petty thief, but I've got more wits than most royalty. What do you say then?"

The Ashen One thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Alright, I'll do this for you." He promised.

"Oh thank you! I humbly place my faith in you."

"You got a name?"

"Oh! Forgive me, where are my manners? I am Greirat of the Undead Settlement, and I promise to assist you. Do your part and I'll do mine." Greirat introduced himself.

"Got it. But it's not safe here, take this." The Ashen One said and handed Greirat a homeward bone.

"Oh? What's this for?"

"Use it, it'll take you to Firelink Shrine. It's a sanctuary of sorts, you'll be safe there. Just wait there and I'll tell you when I find Loretta."

"I see. I will do that. And again, thank you very much."

And with that, Greirat used the bone and vanished.

* * *

After defeating the monstrous Vordt of the Boreal Valley, the Ashen One arrived at the Undead Settlement. Killing two Undead guarding the door, he entered a building. It was dark, the only source of light came from the outside. Walking down a set of stairs, he heard the small noise of something landing behind him. He quickly turned and spotted a nimble undead with a small, crude axe, and bashed its head with a club. Though it was a primitive weapon, the Ashen One found it quite effective. Examining the corpse he noticed it was wearing the same hood Greirat was wearing. He looked down the ground floor and there were two more unaware of him, wearing the hood as well.

He noticed that the hoods seemed to be the only real piece of clothing that they had. Obviously it wasn't effective for protection in combat nor was it fashionable to wear, so the Ashen One deduced that these hoods were bestowed upon people to humiliate and shame them, such as slaves and prisoners. He felt a bit of pity for them, but he wouldn't hesitate to slaughter them should they force him to. Before going to the ground floor he walked out to a balcony. Looking down he saw a massive "bonfire" with corpses serving as fuel, and several Hollowed workers and a large evangelist gathered around it. He also saw a wrapped up corpse right in front of him being dangled by a rope. The corpse didn't smell however, so it seemed that the death was recent. Further examination was cut off as he sidestepped away from a worker trying to stab him with a pitchfork. The pitchfork actually hit the rope and caused the body to drop. The Ashen One quickly killed the worker and then jumped down near the body. He tore the wrapping open and saw the corpse of an old woman. He felt a sense of worry, as Greirat did refer to Loretta as an old woman. Though not certain, the Ashen One had a hunch that this was poor Loretta. He looked in her hands and saw she was clutching an old, discolored bone. If she held onto it even in death, it must've been important to her. If this was Loretta, then perhaps Greirat would recognize it.

"I'm sorry." He whispered before taking the bone from her dead hands. He turned around and looked at the large group of Hollows around the fire, most certainly the ones responsible for her death. He decided he might as well avenge her. They hadn't noticed him yet…that was about to change. Spotting a group standing next to an oil barrel, he chucked a firebomb at the barrels and set off an explosion, sending several hollows flying back. The rest turned to him and readied their weapons. With an axe in his hand the Ashen One let out a war cry and charged at the group.

* * *

Emerging from the battle the victor, the Ashen One made it to the next bonfire and warped back to Firelink Shrine. As always he was greeted by the kind Firekeeper, his first companion made in his journey. He met her as soon as he arrived at Firelink Shrine. He didn't have to do much to earn her compainionship, he just needed to be an Unkindled. She said that since he was off in search of the Lords of Cinder, she would be at his side. However it seemed that she helped him less for reasons of friendliness and more for reasons of duty. Nevertheless he would like to change that, as she has been of great assistance to him. Not to think of him as "The Ashen One" but as a friend.

"Welcome home Ashen One." She warmly greeted, glad to see his safe return.

"Hello Firekeeper. Can you tell me something?" He asked.

"Of course. What does thou need?"

"I sent a man to come here for sanctuary. His name is Greirat. Did he make it back here?"

"Ah yes he did. He stationed himself over there I believe." The Firekeeper pointed to where he need to go.

"I see. Thanks."

His body tightened up upon seeing Greirat, getting ready to deliver the bad news.

"Ah, hello, you're back. And in one piece. Well now it's time for me to do my part. Whatever trinket you need, speak up. Just don't ask me where I got them." Greirat said with a chuckle.

The Ashen One stood in front of Greirat silent, trying to find out how to break the news to him.

"Is something wrong?" Greirat asked confused by his behavior.

Since the Ashen One couldn't think of what to say, he would let something else do the talking. Reaching into a bag he pulled out Loretta's bone and handed it to him without a word. Though he couldn't see it through the hood he was wearing, the Ashen One could sense the grief from Greirat upon receiving the bone.

"Heavens, she was already dead…" His voice trembled.

"Greirat…I'm sorry." The Ashen One expressed his condolences.

"Thank you. I-I'm not surprised though. Hmm, almost a relief really." Greirat assured, though they both knew it to be a lie.

The Ashen One pulled out the Blue Tearstone Ring, assuming Greirat would want it back.

"Oh! You can keep the ring." He stopped him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You've done this for me already. You can think of it as a litte trinket of thanks I suppose."

Though the outcome was not what was hoped, Greirat was glad to have closure with Loretta. As the Ashen One walked off to give Greirat some time to grieve, he called out to him.

"I want to thank you again. Getting me out of that cell was one thing, but this…you didn't have to do this. But you did. I truly appreciate this."

"You're welcome."

"I'll be sure to find a way to repay you. I swear."

"I'll see you later Greirat." The Ashen One said and went back to the bonfire.

And after that, a friendship was formed.

* * *

 **I know that I didn't have the character find Yoel, but that's because I don't consider Yoel to really be a true companion. The 'companions' of this story are going to be characters that help the Ashen One for reasons of genuine gratitude and trust, with no ulterior motives.**


	2. Fire, Faith, and Friendship

Back in the Undead Settlement, the Ashen One walked into a graveyard of sorts. He saw three workers coming towards him and braced himself for combat. But suddenly, a great arrow struck the ground near them and sent the worker's corpses flying.

"Shit!" The Ashen One cried out over the thunderous sounds of the great arrow striking the earth. He quickly rolled to cover, not wanting to test how it feels to get struck by one. He pulled out his binoculars and peeked out of cover to get a look at the shooter.

"A Giant archer?"

It made sense. Only a creature like that could use a weapon that could fire arrows the size of a full grown tree. The Giant was perched up at the top of a tower far quite far from where he currently was. There was no way he could engage the archer, none of his bows could fire that far. And even if he could, Giants are tough and it would take hundreds of arrows to down him, while the Giant only needed one good shot to end the Ashen One.

The Ashen One wanted to turn back and find a way to the tower so he could get a better way to deal with the giant. However, there was a lot of treasure ahead and since this was still the beginning of his journey, he didn't have much and needed better equipment. Any little bit could help. So against his better judgement, he went on a suicide run for the treasure. With a stroke of luck he ran around the graveyard and picked up every treasure along the way, before making it back to the bonfire. He didn't find anything extraordinary but he did find an interesting item. Umbral ash. More specifically a hand clutching what appeared to be Pine Resin. Obviously there was nothing he could use it for, but he did remember who could make something from it. The old Handmaiden at Firelink Shrine.

One of his "allies"; she more or less acted like a merchant. He remembered her telling him that if he was not satisfied with her wares then he was to bring her "umbral ash" as she put it. It seemed that now he would be able to take her up on that offer.

* * *

Warping back to Firelink Shrine he went up to the Handmaiden, sitting in her wooden chair as always without a care in the world.

"Ah, well met Ashen One. How may I be of service?" She asked in that devious voice of hers.

"You said something about bringing you umbral ash? Well I got you some." He said and handed her the ashes he found in the graveyard.

"Gracious. Passing fine ash thou'st given. Let this ash bestow nourishment. I only hope these new wares content thee…" She said and cackled with laughter.

Ignoring her unsettling behavior, the Ashen One checked what she had for sale. She was now selling charred pine resins, which would be useful when he needed to buff his weapon with fire. But what was more interesting was the fact that she was selling a key. He didn't hesitate to purchase it.

"Where did you get this?" He asked her.

"Why from the ashes you just gave me of course."

"But what is it for?"

"It's a key belonging to a mortician. I'm sure thou can find the door it opens in the Undead Settlement."

"Those were a mortician's ashes? How did you know that?" The Ashen One questioned, to which she smirked.

"One can learn much about another from their ashes." She cryptically replied. He just shook his head and gave up. He wasn't going to be fishing any clear answers out of her. "Ashen One. Be sure to bring more souls." She reminded and let out that laugh again.

Of all the allies he met when he first came to Firelink Shrine, that Handmaiden was by far the most mysterious. The Firekeeper, Andre and Ludleth all had a clear reason for helping him. It was the fight for the Flame. But she was far different. It seemed like she really could care less about the Flame and the current state of the world. He could tell that she knew much more than she let on, but she'll probably never spill that information because she may not even think of it as being important.

Really there was only one thing important to her…souls…lots and lots of souls.

However even if her motivations were just pure greed, the Ashen One wasn't going to get on her case about it. They had a simple business relationship, he gave her souls, she gives him the items he needs. A win-win for both sides. He'd prefer it to stay that way.

* * *

Returning to the Undead Settlement, the Ashen One took a different path this time around, eventually dropping down to a bonfire hidden in a small house. Going upstairs he saw that he had managed to sneak behind 3 hollows on the roof of the building, ready to throw firebombs at anyone who walked near the oil barrels in the yard. Taking the advantage, he caught them off guard, disposing of them very quickly. Holstering his weapon, he was shocked to turn and see a cage with an old man wearing wrappings around his eyes stuck inside.

"Uh…hello?"

"Ah-ha, Unkindled are we?" The old man finally spoke. "Welcome to my abode."

"Doesn't look too cozy in there." The Unkindled joked. "What's your name?"

"I'm Corynx, an old pyromancer. A crow in his cage as you see now. But here we are now, an encounter for the ages! I hear the Unkindled make for fine vessels."

"Fine vessels for a lot of things so I've been told. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, would you care to learn pyromancies from this old man?" Corynx offered.

This particular Unkindled isn't really a fan of things such as pyromancy, magic or miracles, but he wasn't opposed to learning about them, even if might never use them.

"Well knowledge is power, so sure." He said and handed Corynx a homeward bone.

"Most wise. A chance encounter should not be squandered. To reiterate, I am Corynx, of the Great Swamp. The pleasure is mine." He said before warping out.

While not quite sure whether he was trapped there or in the cage of his own volition, the Ashen One was glad to have Corynx on his side. It'd be interesting to see what he had to offer. But now the Ashen One was off to look for the door that the key he bought would open.

* * *

Though he had to go through a small sewer with several rats and one giant rat, the Ashen One found the door. He ventured forward on the path it offered to him until he climbed up a ladder, but not before having to kill more rats.

"God damned rats." He cursed as he got up the ladder. He found himself in what looked like a cell, a door closed to the right of him. Luckily this time he was at the side where the lock to the door was.

"Ahh, who's there?" A gentle voice called out. The Ashen One instinctively turned around swiftly and reached for his weapon, the voice catching him off guard. His hand was on the weapon but took it off after seeing it was just a woman kneeled on the ground. A rather frail, ill looking woman at that. He walked over to her in concern.

"Is someone there, anyone?" She called out again.

" _She's blind…"_ The Ashen One realized.

"The dark surrounds me, nibbles at my flesh. Little creatures, they never stop biting. So please, hold out your hand and touch me…" She pleaded.

The Ashen One carefully knelt down to her level and gently put his hand on her shoulder. She seemed to let out a great sigh of relief upon his touch.

"Ahh, yes, there you are, so close indeed. Then I am not entirely alone just yet. Praise the merciful gods above…" She said.

"Miss, are you alright?" He asked her.

"Thank to you yes..." She said and somewhat wrapped her arms around him. "Oh forgive me. I am Irina of Carim. I came to this land so that I might be a fire keeper."

"So that's why you're blind…and that darkness you were talking about. It's humanities right?"

"That's right. But your touch has freed me from the darkness. You are a champion then?"

"Champion? Geez, Unkindled sure get a lot of monikers." He remarked, to which she laughed.

"I am weak and unfit to tend the flames." She lamented.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Being a Fire Keeper isn't something just anyone can do. You're a brave woman for trying in the first place." He comforted her.

"You're very kind. I don't wish to be a burden but if it wouldn't trouble you, might I enter into your service instead?" Irina asked.

"Of course you can. Here." He said and handed the homeward bone to her.

"Oh thank you sweet Champion. I shall take my vows. I, Irina of Carim, solemly swear to serve you." She vowed and then warped away. Now he had to people to check up on once he went back to Firelink. The Ashen One opened the cell door and walked outside, to the left of him was the entrance to the tower the Giant archer was on. He failed to notice a presence to his right.

"Hmm…Another one of those Unkindled are you?" a deep voice muttered. The Ashen One turned around to see a man wearing a heavy and intimidating set of arm, along with a massive Great Hammer in his possession. He really hoped this man wasn't hostile. "All you faceless Undead, behaving as if you deserve respect. Now you've gone and rescued the wench…How very quaint, pitying creatures that are beyond help." The man chuckled.

"Maybe she couldn't become a Fire Keeper, but that doesn't make her a lost cause. She can still find a purpose in life." The Ashen One argued.

"If you want to believe that, I won't stop you." The man chuckled again. Staring at the Ashen One for a bit, he finally spoke up. "Very well. I'm sick of looking after her at any rate. I am Eygon, a knight of Carim. I am allied to you for as long as you assure the girl's safety. And only that long…" Eygon finished that last part sounding very much like a threat.

"Message received. I've got no intentions of hurting her." He assured.

"I'm glad we understand each other." Eygon said.

"Do you know what's in that tower?" He asked the knight of Carim.

"Aside from the eagle-eyed Giant? If you take the lift down there's the entrance to the Road of Sacrifices. I'm assuming you'll be heading there. Watch yourself though. I hear there's a beast with a frost weapon down there. Try not to catch a cold." Eygon laughed.

"Alright. Thanks."

* * *

He began opening the door to the tower. Before he went to the Road of Sacrifices, he had to deal with the giant first. He spotted the lift to go up. He went to step on it, but suddenly the lift went up without him.

"What the?!"

Suddenly a secondary lift came up, and a Knight with bulky armor that looked similar to an Onion stepped off.

" _I guess that's how the lift works."_ The Ashen One put two and two together. He approached the Onion Knight and spoke up.

"Uh, excuse me…"

"Hmm…" The Onion Knight hummed.

"Excuse me?"

"Mmmmmm…"

"Sir?!"

"Hmm…mmm…OH!" The Onion Knight finally snapped back to reality and noticed the Ashen One. "Pardon me, I was absorbed in thought."

"That's alright." The Unkindled accepted the apology. "What's your name?"

"Ah yes! I am Siegward of Catarina." He introduced himself. "To be honest, I'm in a bit of a pickle."

"You don't say? What's the problem?"

"Have you ever walked near a white birch, only to be struck by a great arrow?" Siegward asked.

"I've got experience. That's why I'm here actually." The Ashen One said.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, they come from this tower. Whoever it is I'm sure I can talk some sense into them. But I have to find a way up, and that's just the trouble. This lift only goes down, you see, and…Well, that doesn't get me anywhere." Siegward explained and then went back into thought. "Hmm…Mmm…"

While Siegward was back in his thoughts, the Ashen One stepped on the lift's pressure plate and quickly got off. The lower lift went down, and the upper lift came back. Getting on the lift it took him up, but Siegward didn't seem to notice. Finally, he made it to the top of the tower. Looking at the staircase leading upwards, he could tell the Giant was just around the corner.

" _Damn! This area doesn't give me too much room if I try to fight him. I've got to think this through."_

Then he remembered what Siegward suggest he was going to do.

" _Maybe the Giant can be negotiated with…I guess I could give it a try."_

He slowly walked up the stairs, not wanting to make too much noise. He feared the Giant would hear it and feel like he being ambushed. As quiet as he was though, the giant very quickly turned and spotted him.

"Who are you?" The Giant asked, startling the Ashen One.

"Woah! Uh hello there. Can I just say that you're a very good shot with that bow?" He complimented, hoping to gain the Giant's favor.

"Thank you…" The Giant replied.

The two stared at each other for a moment. It seemed the Giant was expecting the Ashen One to lead this conversation.

"Anyway, I came up here because while I was traveling the graveyard you almost hit me. It's alright, I'm not angry about it. But I just want you to know that I don't mean you any harm. I don't have anything against you and you don't seem to have anything against me. So why don't we make peace? Become friends?" The Ashen One requested.

"Mmm!" The Giant hummed. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a white birch branch and handed it to the Ashen One. "I help anytime." The Giant promised.

The Ashen One examined the branch in his hand and noticed small writing on it. It read "Good friend, no hit."; It seemed that this was a token of peace.

"Thank you! I'll see you around friend." He waved to the Giant.

"Bye-bye"

Taking the lift back to the lower floor, the Ashen One heard a familiar "Hmm…" halfway down.

" _Wait! Was that Siegward?!"_

He looked up and saw what appeared to be a spot he could drop off on mid-transit if he was careful. Taking the lift back up, he timed his jump just right and made it on the spot. Unfortunately there wasn't a safe way back down, so this had better been worth it. He saw a window to walk out of and found himself on a ledge of the tower, with a safe drop to a roof below. And as he thought, Siegward was there as well.

"Hmm…Mmm"

"Hey Siegward?"

"Ah, oh! Don't disappear on me like that you had me downright worried." The Knight of Catarina scolded him. The Ashen One couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Sorry if I made you worry." He said and sat down on the ledge with Siegward.

"Oh that's quite alright. Besides, thanks to you an epiphany has struck me square on the head. I unraveled the riddle of this inscrutable lift!" he said and laughed triumphantly.

"Glad I could help."

"You know…on some days I begin to doubt myself. I went up the tower, so I thought, then somehow ended up here. I'm not sure exactly what happened." Siegward explained.

"Well regardless of what happened, you're alive and in one piece. That's what matters."

"I suppose you're right. Anyhow, do you see that? That humongous beast." Siegward pointed. The Ashen One looked and saw what he was referring to.

"Shit! That's a demon! I thought they were all dead!"

"Now I'm no coward, and I've a steady hand, but that thing makes my skin crawl." Siegward admitted.

"I feel you there. But there's only one path ahead and it's in the way. We've got to take it down." The Ashen One said and hopped down to the roof below.

"What are you doing?!" Siegward asked but the Ashen One was already approaching the demon. It set its sights on the Ashen One and charged towards him. Swing its axe, the Ashen One rolled just in time to avoid it. But now he was face-to-face against a demon.

"No! You should have waited!" Siegward chastised. "Well, it's too late now. I, Siegward of the Knights of Catarina, fight by your side!" He proclaimed and let out a battle cry.

The Ashen One smiled knowing that he now had a comrade in battle. The two worked together in a grueling battle against the fearsome demon. If it knocked one of them down, the other would attack it so he could get back up. Eventually the two succeeded in slaying the ferocious demon. The two sat down to catch a breather, both breathing heavily after the grueling battle.

"That was quite the performance." Siegward said. "But you musn't get in over your head. We Unkindled must put our duties first."

"You're right. I was a bit reckless. Thanks for your help; I doubt I would have made it if you hadn't helped."

"Well don't worry too much about it. Besides, we have a toast to make. Here, take this."

Siegward handed the Ashen One a barrel mug. Inside was a special brew.

"Is this beer?" The Ashen One asked in awe.

"Indeed, I brewed it myself. Now for a toast. To your valor, my sword, and our victory together. Long may the Sun shine!" He cheered and the two let out a hearty laugh and clanked their mugs together.

Taking a good sip of the drink, the Ashen One felt reinvigorated by the wonderful taste, like he could go another round against a demon.

"Damn this is good stuff Siegward!" He praised.

"I'm glad you enjoy it!"

"I can't remember the last time I had an actual drink other than Estus. It feels nice. Thank you Siegward."

"It's my pleasure, friend."

"Well I've got to get going. What are you going to do now?" He asked the Knight of Catarina.

"Well, I'm going to have myself a little nap. The only thing to do, really, after a nice toast."

And with that he began snoring, almost instantly falling asleep. The Ashen One chuckled and smiled.

"Till we meet again Siegward."

* * *

Crossing the graveyard with artillery support from the Giant archer, the Ashen One confronted the grotesque Curse-Rotted Greatwood. A tough foe, but nothing he couldn't handle. From his victory he received a Transposing Kiln, something Ludleth would be able to utilize. With all business taken care of in the Undead Settlement, he took the tower lift down and slayed the Outrider Knight that lurked there. He made it to the Road of Sacrifice. But before proceeding further, he warped back to Firelink Shrine. It was time to check up on his new friends.


	3. The Teachers

The Ashen One warped back to Firelink Shrine, ready to speak with his new companions Corynx and Irina. However, he wanted to check up on Greirat first. The fellow wasn't looking too great the last time they had spoken.

"Hey Greirat. You doing okay?" He asked the thief.

"Oh hello! I'm doing well. It's good to see you back, safe and sound." Greirat said. He definitely sounded more upbeat this time around.

"It's good to be back." The Ashen One agreed.

"You've come back at a good time too. There's something I've been thinking about that I'd like to run by you." Greirat informed him.

The Ashen One felt curious upon hearing this. "Okay. What is it?"

"You know I'm a petty thief. Well, perhaps I'll go on the prowl. Everyone's dead or hollowed away anyway, right, so... I might as well fetch some weapons or treasure for you. Well, what do you say?"

"You want to pillage the Undead Settlement?"

"That's right."

The offer had the Unkindled feeling conflicted. What Greirat was planning to do was quite dangerous. He'd definitely be putting his life on the line.

"I don't know Greirat. Even though most of the people there are hollows, the place is still a death trap."

"I understand the danger, and I appreciate your concern. But please let me do this." Greirat pleaded. "You did me a great favor and I wish to repay you for it."

Though he felt Greirat did not need to repay him, the Unkindled felt like he would be doing his friend a disservice by not allowing him to assist him in this way.

"Alright Greirat."

"Thank you. You will not be disappointed. Greirat the Thief was once a well-known name. Until I ended up rotting in a cell." The thief chuckled.

"Just promise to be careful out there."

"Likewise my friend."

* * *

He went over to Corynx, who found himself a nice spot to settle in.

"Good to see you made it back Corynx." The Unkindled greeted.

"Ahh, there you are, Unkindled One. I wish to express my gratitude. For trusting a lowly pyromancer, and allowing me to gaze upon this majestic flame. As promised, I will impart pyromancies to you. But first you will need a flame of your own." The old man said. Sure enough, he handed the Ashen One a pyromancy flame.

"Oh! Thank you Corynx."

"Careful you don't burn yourself with it." He joked.

"Just to let you know, I probably won't be using this too much. I don't really think I could anyway." The Unkindled admitted.

"That's quite alright. Though that begs the question, what do you wish to learn pyromancies for?"

"The way I see it, even if I can't use it myself I should still try to learn more about it. It may help me against enemy pyromancers." The Ashen One explained.

"I see. That's quite wise of you!" Corynx complimented. "Fortunately, I can teach you basic pyromancies. Most of which even a knight such as yourself can use. Unfortunately, as of right now these are the only pyromancies I can teach you. I forgot some of my pyromancy tomes."

"There's bound to be tomes scattered across Lothric. If I find some, I can give them to you."

"That would be wonderful. I may even get to see some tomes I'm unfamiliar with." Corynx smiled. "But enough of that, shall we begin our first lesson?"

Corynx and the Unkindled sat together as Corynx taught him basic pyromancies like Fireball, Flash Sweat, and Fire Surge.

"Interesting…" The Ashen One thought aloud after throwing a fireball.

"You're a quick-learner I must say." Corynx laughed.

"Where did pyromancy come from? Who created it?"

"Oh well that's quite a story."

"I'd like to hear it."

"Very well. pyromancy came from the lost city of Izalith." Corynx began.

"Izalith…I've heard of it."

"Yes, but more specifically, pyromancy came from the Witch of Izalith and her daughters."

"Wasn't Izalith destroyed?"

"Indeed, and by the very same fire that it created no less. Tangled by a witch's hand, the fire scorched Izalith."

"So how did the art of pyromancy survive? Seems like any record of it would have been wiped after that."

"That would have been the case, had one of the witches not survive. Her name was Quelana, the mother of pyromancy we call her. She was the one who taught pyromancy to us humans. She taught a select few students, most notably Master Salaman. Salaman was the one who went on to make advancements in pyromancy, as well as teaching it to more students. As for Quelana, she taught one last student, a wandering and nameless Undead. No one knows what became of that Undead. Whether he went on to do great things or hollowed like many Undead before him is anyone's guess." Corynx shrugged.

"He must've had something special about him for Quelana to take him as a student, and her last student at that. I'd like to think that he didn't just become another Hollow. He probably did something great, but we'll never hear about it." The Ashen One expressed his thoughts.

"That could very well be true. Quite a shame when you think about it. I'm sure many of people have done great things, make great sacrifices, only to be forgotten by history." Corynx said.

"What about the Great Swamp? It seems to have a lot of connections to pyromancy. Why is that?" The Ashen One went back to the subject.

"Oh yes. If you weren't aware, pyromancers such as myself have always been shunned by many cultures. Pyromancers weren't wanted, so they were driven to the Great Swamp."

"What's the problem people have with pyromancy?"

"Depends on who you ask. Many of the cultures fear it due to its primitive nature, and its destructive history. It's hard to blame them, even we pyromancers are taught to fear the flame. Sorcerers, however, tend to mock the art due to its simplicity."

The Ashen One chuckled. "Yeah that sounds like sorcerers. A lot of them are pretentious bastards."

Corynx laughed. "I take it you're not too fond of magic users."

"That would be an accurate statement."

"Ha ha! I see. Well regardless of how you feel about the art itself, sorceries, like pyromancies, would be very useful to learn. If you find anyone out there that is willing to teach them to you, do allow them to come here." The pyromancer suggested.

"You're probably right. Thank you Corynx." The Ashen One said and began to walk off.

"Do not be gone for long! What is a teacher without a pupil?" Corynx said and laughed to himself.

* * *

Finally, the Ashen One went over to Irina, who was not too far from Corynx. She must have not heard him approach, as she continued "looking" at the floor.

The Ashen One had a soft spot for the woman of Carim. She had sacrificed so much, even her very vision in an attempt to become a fire keeper. But now she was a blind woman and she seemed to think very little of herself. He wanted her to know that she wasn't worthless, that there was still a purpose for her.

"Irina." He called to her.

"Oh, Champion of Ash. Welcome back. I was not meant to be a Fire Keeper, but I am honoured to serve you beside the Bonfire. The gods are ever-merciful. My gratitude lies with them, and with you. I am yours now. Your wish is my command." She said with great thanks.

"Thank you." He replied, somewhat flattered that she referred to him with such reverence. "Can I ask you something?"

"Oh anything Champion!"

"There was a man I met outside of your cell…"

"Ah yes! Eygon."

"That's right. What's the thing between you and him?"

"Eygon is my guardian, a knight of Carim. He protected me as we traveled the land of Lothric." She explained.

"I see."

She giggled. "I'm assuming he wasn't very pleasant during your conversation."

"That's right. I guess that's how he is." The Ashen One shrugged.

"Yes. Eygon is not the kindest man in the world. He vocally expressed his displeasure for the task of protecting me. You might have done him a favor by bringing me here." Irina said. "But in truth, he is a good man. He was always there for me, to protect a failed fire keeper. Even if he doesn't like protecting me, he still devotes himself to the task."

"I can tell. Now I have to make sure to protect you. Cause if anything happens to you, he's coming for my head." The Ashen One said.

"Well none of us have to worry about that. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me." She said confidently. "Besides…I feel…safe here with you and the others. I don't have to worry about feeling alone anymore."

The Ashen One then sat down next to her. "I'm glad to hear that. You look much better than you did in that cell." He replied. "By the way, you said you were from Carim right? What did you do before you came to Lothric?"

"What I did back home? Oh, I was a simple nun, nothing special about that." Irina deprecated herself.

"That's not true. If you're a nun, that means you can teach me miracles, right? I haven't seen any sane person in Lothric that can do that besides you."

Irina smiled at the realization of her calling. "Yes! I can teach you miracles! That way I can be of service to you."

"Great!"

"Although to be honest, I only know a few. But if I had a divine tome, I could tell you many tales and more. Ahh, only I cannot see…Terribly sorry, but you'll have to find me a divine tome in braille." She frowned.

"Don't worry, I'll find you some tomes. For now, why don't you tell me the ones you do know?" The Unkindled suggested.

"Oh yes, of course! I've always enjoyed telling these tales. Oh, what fun we will have!" She giggled.

Irina told the Unkindled three tales. Replinishment, an old tale of the old Lloyd faith, whose cleric knights were unfaltering in battle. Caressing Tears, a tale of the many deaths surrounding the goddess Caitha, taught by her well-known follower Morne, the Archbishop's apostle. Finally, the tale of Homeward, a miracle that originally brought someone back to their homeland, but now the curse of the Undead has twisted its power, redirecting casters to bonfires instead.

"A tragic fate, don't you think?" Irina commented after finishing the tale. "To be Undead, no longer having a place to call home."

"Maybe so, but for us Undead or Unkindled, the bonfire is a home for us. Firelink Shrine especially for me." The Ashen One replied.

"What do you think it is about the bonfire that makes the Undead so fond of it?" She asked.

"I think it's because the bonfire accepts anyone. It doesn't matter who you are, what you are, where you're from, or what you believe in. The bonfire doesn't discriminate, and welcomes anyone with open arms." He mused.

"I see. That's a good point."

"Just think about the people here in Firelink. There's a Lord of Cinder who's missing his legs, a Fire Keeper, an old handmaiden that sells things that you wouldn't expect an old woman to have in her possession. A blacksmith, a crestfallen warrior, a thief, and a pyromancer."

Irina giggled a bit when he finished. "And even a failed fire keeper."

The Ashen One chuckled. "That's right. Even a failed fire keeper."

"I understand your point Champion of Ash, and I agree with you. My homeland would never allow me back, but this place welcomed me without question."

"And I'm glad to have you with us Irina." The Ashen One said. He stood up, realizing it was time to get back to his journey. "I'd love to chat some more, but I've got to go. I'll be back soon."

"Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash. I pray for your safety." She said as he left.

Returning to the center of Firelink, the Ashen One used the bonfire to warp back to the Crucifixion Woods.


	4. The Lady Knight and the Sorcerer

**Thanks to everyone for the support and my apologies for such a long wait for an update. Don't expect to have to wait this long for future updates.**

* * *

Getting through the Road of Sacrifice was not as difficult as the Ashen One expected, but the way there was much stranger than he thought. He came across a large number of Corvians, very grotesque looking creatures that seemed to be a hybrid of humans and crows. Upon first glance they didn't seem to be a threat, the first one he encountered actually kept backing away as he was approaching it. The Ashen One stopped his advance to see if the creature would attempt to attack, but the Corvian continued to cower away. It seemed that these creatures were more afraid of him than he was of them. Because of this, the Ashen One decided to spare the creature…

And then its wings sprouted. After letting out a horrific scream, wings violently began to grow out of the Corvian's body. Once it had wings, it was ballistic. It attacked the Ashen One with a furious barrage of attacks while it hovered above him. It became relentless, the only way to stop it was to kill it. And he did just that. The Ashen One scolded himself for just watching it transform.

 _Okay so next time, how about I don't act like an idiot and just sit there while it's transforming, and instead attack it before or while it tranforms? Yeah, that's probably a good plan._

Though if that wasn't strange enough, he eventually encountered an overweight woman dressed in nothing but rags and a hat wielding an over-sized Butcher Knife. She made it clear that she was not friendly right off the bat. He avoided becoming her next meal and defeated her, earning her Butcher Knife as a reward for the trouble.

One good thing to come out of the trip was when he found a cave and in it was a ring, but more importantly a Divine Tome in braille. He'd be able to give that to Irina once he got back. Eventually he approached a bridge, with several Corvians in his away. He knew charging right into them would be suicide. He would not be quick enough to kill them before they completed their bizarre transformation. Then he would have three to four raving lunatics chasing him down, leaping up and down while they wailed at him with their crude weaponry. He would have to sneak up to each one of them and eliminate them. After all they only began their transformation once they noticed the Ashen One getting too close to them. So, like many messages he read by warriors of different times and universe have suggested quite often, he would try eliminating one at a time.

But there posed another problem. On top of hill across the bridge, there was a tall, fully transformed Corvian standing upright and with a staff in his hands. Some refer to them as Corvian Storytellers. The Ashen One came across one of them not too long ago. They were obviously smarter than their comrades. While the others went crazy and thrashed at him, these ones remained calm and attacked with some odd form of pyromancy. They would create poison mists, as well as launch a stream of fire at him. That was not the reason they were a threat however, as they were practically doomed once the Ashen One got close enough to them. He had to play this safe. He hid behind some greenery, pulled out his long bow, and readied an arrow, aiming right for the head of the story teller.

"Steady…steady." He muttered to himself and kept his aim still. He released the arrow and it launched gracefully, right into the forehead of the storyteller for an instant kill. A perfect shot. The other Corvians, being not the most perceptive bunch in Lothric, didn't seem to notice its death. This gave the Unkindled free-reign to take out the creatures one-by-one. After conquering this threat, he made it to the next bonfire; the Road of Sacrifices.

* * *

When he showed up to the bonfire, he found himself not the only one there. There were two unfamiliar figures that were nearby. They didn't attack him on sight, so he could assume they hadn't gone Hollow.

The first figure was sitting on a pile of debris, wearing a set of armor worn by the Elite Knights of Astora. The other was standing nearby with his arms crossed, wearing an odd set of black armor. He decided to approach them, maybe get acquainted.

"Oh hello. How do you do." A calm, gentle female voice came from the woman in the Elite Knight armor.

"Hello. I'm doing all right? As good as an Unkindled can be." He joked. She chuckled a bit.

"I know the feeling." She replied. He picked up the implication of that statement.

"You're Unkindled too?"

"Indeed. My name is Anri of Astora. Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm…"

That was a question for both of them actually. What was his name? He racked his brain but for the whatever you could call "life" of him he couldn't remember. He didn't remember much of his life before becoming an Unkindled. His name was just one of several things lost to time.

"I can't remember unfortunately." He admitted, somewhat saddened by this.

"Oh…that's alright. Names aren't all that important anyway, right?" She said, attempting to make him feel better. He appreciated the gesture. She turned and faced the figure standing behind her. "And this is Horace. A friend and traveling companion."

The Unkindled and Horace looked at each other. He didn't make any attempt to formally greet himself, but the Unkindled didn't mind. He got a weird vibe from Horace. He was an intimidating figure, but he didn't come off as malicious. He just seemed a bit distant.

"Are you too in search of the Lords of Cinder?" Anri asked.

"Yes actually. I didn't think I'd come across others trying to do the same." He spoke. "If you wouldn't mind helping me out, I don't know the area very well. Do you have any places you could point me to?"

She let out a small laugh. It wasn't a mocking laugh, more like her sympathizing with his position. "Of course. Below us is the Crucifixion Woods. Beyond the flooded woods lies Farron Keep, home of the Undead Legion."

He'd make a note of that. The Undead Legion was one of his targets. Specifically, the Abyss Watchers. Hopefully they weren't "targets" in the traditional sense and were still sane, and he would have to ask them to return to their thrones. Though he had a strong doubt that would be the case. He would more than likely have to deliver them to the throne.

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Well further yet is the Cathedral of the Deep. We seek the cathedral, home of the grim Aldrich."

The Ashen One noticed the tone in her voice in those last two words. The 'grim Aldrich'. It was a tone of disgust and anger. It seemed that unlike him, Aldrich wasn't just another objective in the mission. There was something personal between her and the Lord of Cinder, a score that needed to be settled. Though he was curious about what that might be, he knew it was no place of his to pry."

"Well I've got to go to both of those places. With any luck, we might run into each other."

"Indeed, and we may come across each other in a time of need. If that happens, do not hesitate to call on me. I'd be happy to lend you my sword." She promised.

"Thank you. I'll remember that." He said and shook her hand. He looked back over to Horace. He was still quiet, and seemed to be staring the Ashen One down. Was he angry with him? He looked back to Anri. "Hey, did I say something that made your friend upset? I apologize if I did."

"Oh, you mean Horace? Oh no! You're fine. I forgot to mention he's not really talkative. I hope you don't think ill of him. He's a good man, a kind-hearted knight, and a perfect companion for this journey." She sighed. "I don't know what'd I do without him. If it wasn't for him, I would have given up on this quest long ago."

The Ashen One smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. It's rare to find someone like that nowadays."

He turned around, readying his equipment. "It was nice to chat with you Anri, but I've got to get going. I'm sure you two will need to head out soon as well. Best of luck to both to you." He waved.

"It was nice to meet you, sir. May the flames guide your way."

* * *

Traveling through the Crucifixion Woods was not a delightful place to travel through, as if the name itself wasn't a dead giveaway. The Ashen One was attacked by Hollows carrying around large, sharpened tree branches as a weapon, attempt to stab or impale him with it like it was a pike. Poisonhorn bugs traveled in packs trying to, you guessed it, poison the Ashen One with the gas they emitted. There were also the Lycanthropes, large Undead with a wooden cross, and itemed that was placed all over the woods, chained to its back. Maybe at one point it was a human, but whatever happen to this thing caused it act like a ballistic blood-thirsty beast. They would attack him without giving him any room to breathe. They were unending in their assault. The one saving grace was that they were not as durable as they appeared, getting easily staggered by a sword strike just like any other small and unarmored enemy he came across. Once he had the opening, he went all in with a barrage of attacks until the monster was slain.

He also took a brief travel through the swamp. While scavenging he managed to find a Pyromancy Tome from the Great Swamp that he could no doubt give to Corynx, though this didn't come without it downside. Getting forced him to combat a Giant Crab, and while being invaded by the Red Phantom of a sorceress with a ridiculous hat.

"Filthy magic users…"

He moved from tree to tree, using them as cover from her magic projectiles. He was forced out of cover from time to time because of the giant Crab. Once she got too close, he hoped out from behind the tree and engaged her at close range.

He survived the encounter, but the battle had a strange finish. He was not the one who dealt the finishing blow to the sorceress. Rather it was a stray attack from the Giant Crab that banished the Red Phantom. Apparently, the Crab didn't pick sides when it came to fights.

"Huh…well. Thank you, Giant Crab."

 _That's not something I'd ever thought I would say._

The Ashen One decided he would head to the Cathedral of the Deep first before going to Farron Keep. He'd take care of Aldrich and then the Abyss Watchers wouldn't be too far away. He had to head inside some ruins with several hollows occupying the area. Some of the Hollows were sorcerers, or at the very least knew the basics of it, and fired Soul Darts at him. Not a big deal anyway, as he was easily able to eliminate them. But the real surprise came on the second floor of the ruins, where he walked into a room and rather than seeing any Hollows, he saw a man with black hair and a black shirt at a desk looking at a scroll. Wasn't the only one either, next to him was a shelf with a massive amount of scrolls. Needless to say, this man looked like a Sorcerer. He took a step forward and the Sorcerer acknowledged his presence.

"Well this is unexpected. I don't often get visitors." He said in a disinterested tone of voice.

The Ashen One chuckled. "Really? So none of the guys downstairs ever pay you a visit?"

"Ah! And he's a jokester as well." He snidely remarked.

"All right. Jokes aside, what is this?" The Ashen One got serious.

"This? Isn't it obvious? This is my study you've happened upon." He looked at the Ashen One with a scowl. "Now if you haven't any business, be on your way. I've reading to get back to."

"Wait." The Ashen One stopped him from walking away. "You're a sorcerer, right?"

"That's right. What of it?"

While he was not fond of the arts of sorcery, like with miracles and pyromancies it could be useful to learn more about them, Knowledge is power after all.

"Would you mind…teaching me about sorcery? I mean it's probably better then what you're doing right now." He proposed.

The sorcerer stroked his chin. "An intriguing offer." He said. The sorcerer seemed to examine the Ashen One closely, as if to see whether he was cut out for sorcery. "Hmph, very well. I have many things I can share with you."

"That's gre-"

"However…" He cut the Ashen One off. "What champion demands service without recompense? You don't strike me as that kind of man."

"Oh yeah, of course I'm not asking you to do this for free! State your price."

"I'd like you to make me a promise. You seek knowledge, but I seek knowledge myself. So in exchange for my teachings, you will bring me knowledge in the form of scroll's detailing sorcery's secrets." The sorcerer laid out the terms. "Well? Can you assure me of this?"

"Of course! I seem be good at finding hidden treasures like that, so I'm sure I can find you a sorcery scroll."

The sorcerer chuckled. "Very well. You are no fool. I take it you understand the weight of a promise. I am Orbeck of Vinheim." He finally gave his name. "I will teach you sorceries. We shall learn together, it shall be like our own school." Orbeck joked.

"All right. Go to Firelink Shrine. I'll meet with you there when I'm done here." The Ashen One said.

"Very well. But before I go I should warn you of something if you are to proceed further. One of the Crystal Sages waits ahead. Both of them were taught by the legendary sorcerer Big Hat Logan. He is not to be trifled with." Orbeck advised.

"Thanks. See you later." The Ashen One responded and continued his journey.


	5. Unbreakable

After speaking with Orbeck, the Ashen One cleared out the floor below of any hostiles. But before he proceeded forward to face the Crystal Sage he was warned about, he thought about Orbeck. He said he was from Vinheim, home of the Dragon School, where some of the world's most renowned sorcerers came from. However, he remembered that people from Vinheim were usually not very pleasant to be around. Most of them thought too highly of themselves, and were often very rude to anyone who weren't practitioners of the magic taught there. But Orbeck was rather polite. He seemed a bit stoic, but nevertheless he was not condescending. Essentially, he was different. He even offered to teach him magic, even though he's not too familiar with the art, the only catch being he provide him with more sorcery scrolls. That's quite a deal. He's bound to run into a scroll sooner or later, so it's good that he has somebody that can actually put it to good use. But he'd talk with Orbeck later. For now he had to proceed with his quest.

The Ashen One crushed an Ember, granting him a small amount of a Lord of Cinder's power. But before he went to Crystal Sage, he heard the sound of a summon sign appearing. He ran over to it and was surprised to see who it was.

"Eygon?"

He chuckled, a small grin growing on his face. He summoned Eygon for assistance, and shortly after, his phantom rose from the ground.

"Eygon. Volunteering to help me? I didn't think you cared." The Ashen One joked.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I said I'm allied to you so long as you ensure Irina's safety. I'm just here to keep my word, nothing more." Eygon explained with his arms crossed.

"Fine by me. Any advice for what's up ahead."

"Don't be far away from him. Sorcerers excel when fighting at long range. You do not. But, he's pitiful when his opponent is right up in his face, not to mention he doesn't wear armor. Once you get close, you've got a moment to do as much damage as you can before he teleports away. Then you'll have to try and predict where he'll be next." Eygon informed him.

"So just rush down the squishy wizard and attack him. Got it." The Ashen One confirmed.

"One more thing. Be sure to remember the color of his spells." Eygon said.

The Ashen One raised an eyebrow at that. "Why?"

Eygon chuckled. "You'll see."

* * *

The Crystal Sage didn't prove to be the most difficult opponent the Ashen One had crossed, but he did prove to be the most tedious. The teleports were annoying but he could manage. But Eygon decided to leave out an important detail. That the Crystal Sage would make clones of himself! He quickly realized that the real one was the one that used purple colored magic. Still, it was quite an annoyance to be blasted by spells from every direction.

The real challenge lied ahead, getting to the Cathedral of the Deep. Before he got to the Cathedral proper, he had to fight a Fallen Knight and a Bandit at a nearby bonfire. Then he had to get through a part of the woods with crossbow snipers hiding behind trees and several dogs running right at him to attack. The dogs were the real threat, the snipers were only dangerous if they had their dogs distracting him. Once the dogs were gone, it was easy to close the distance between him and the snipers, and the snipers were helpless at close range.

He opened a large door and entered a chapel, and at the altar near the bonfire he saw a man in a red hood kneeling with his head right on the floor, praying at the altar. He didn't seem to notice the Ashen One. Call it intuition, but the Ashen One felt that he shouldn't speak with this peculiar man just yet. There was a job to do, but he would return. He traveled through a graveyard full of countless and grotesque Hollows. Some vomited leeches, some had leech monsters burst out of their chest that tried to grab him. At one point he found himself cornered by these enemies. But before they could strike, they were obliterated by a great arrow. The Ashen One looked to where the arrow came from, and saw it was the Giant Archer he made friends with. He smiled and waved to the Archer. He owed him one.

* * *

The Ashen One made his way through the Cathedral. He came across some not-so-friendly Giants. They were strong, durable, but he managed to eliminate the two of them. He fought Cathedral Knights, an Accursed Beast that ambushed him in a room, and Thralls that waited to sneak attack him. At one point, he was confronted by the Red Phantom of an Ashen One. He was a strange looking Knight, wearing an Armor of Thorns, wielding a sword and shield covered in thorns as well to make opponents bleed. He was no pushover, almost defeating the Ashen One at several points during the battle. The Ashen One finally won by landing a risky parry and then riposting the Knight of Thorns, plunging the sword right into his chest. After that grueling duel, he moved on and eventually came across what appeared to be Sigward of Catarina, the knight he met near the Giant Archer's tower.

"Siegward! Is that you?" He called out.

The Onion Knight looked to the Ashen One. "Oh! It's you!" He replied.

The Ashen One felt like 'Siegward' was acting strange. His voice wasn't like he remembered and he seemed a little nervous. There was something else that was strange. There was a walkway behind 'Siegward' that wasn't raised when he was down there.

"I've managed to this Cathedral's store of treasure. It's right across the narrow part. Treasure…hmm. Always so close, yet so far." 'Siegward' chuckled.

Now the Ashen One was downright suspicious. The Siegward he knew was not someone who was interested in treasure. He was dedicated to the duty he had. 'Siegward' suggested that he go across the narrow walkway to get the treasure. This was all too fishy, but the Ashen One decided to play along. He made it about half-way across the walkway before it suddenly lowered. He heard a laugh above him, coming from where 'Siegward' was and turned to face that direction. He saw the Onion Knight staring down at him.

"Shame on your greedy guts!" The imposter finally revealed himself. He took off his helmet to reveal his face. While the Ashen One had never actually seen Siegward's face, the voice and attitude was a dead giveaway this was not him. "Thought you could outwit an onion?" the man taunted. "Say hello to the giant! He loves visitors." He finished and cackled hysterically.

The Ashen One couldn't help but have a large grin under his helmet. "Huh? Where's the old giant? What! Where's the bloody giant?!" The man started complaining.

"Jokes on you, fool! I already took care of that giant!" The Ashen One boasted.

The man was shocked. "What? How dare you?!"

He pointed at the man. "You better be ready. Because I'm coming for you next!" He threatened, earning a nervous gulp from the man, and he began running.

"The Ashen One searched the Cathedral, and after traversing the rafters of the Cathedral and dropped down to where the walkway the man lowered led to, he finally found him. He had removed Siegward's armor in a feeble attempt to disguise himself, but the Ashen One didn't forget a face. He wore black leather armor and wielded a Winged Spear and Twin Dragon Greatshield. He went up to the man to confront him.

"Oh, yes, oh, hello, I don't believe we've met?" The man nervously spoke. "I'm Patches. Unbreakable Patches. Do you have business with me?"

"Cut the crap! You know who I am!" The Ashen One shouted.

Patches eyes widened. "Oh yes…it's coming back to me now! I'm terribly sorry about that. The was indeed my hand that lowered the bridge, but the deed was armour's doing!" He claimed. "I truly regret that, I really do. But fear not! I have stripped myself of that unruly attire." He proudly stated. "Besides, look at you! You haven't got a scratch on you, so it was all harmless in the end, right?"

The Ashen One let out a frustrated sigh. Patches didn't seem like a truly evil person. He was more of a mischievous thief than anything. He wasn't going to kill this man in cold blood for something that was a mere annoyance. "Yeah, I guess so." He conceded.

Patches had a joyful look on his face. "Oh, thank you! I'm grateful for your forgiveness. But I still owe you an apology. Here, take this. It's yours!" He said and handed the Ashen One a rusty coin. The Ashen One sighed as he put the rusty coin in his bag. "I think you should know that I'm also a traveling merchant."

"Whatever. Now tell me where you got that armor?"

"Oh! I just found it." Patches answered.

The Ashen One quickly pulled out a dagger and held it close to Patches' throat. "You 'found' it?! Do you mean you killed the person who owned it and then pilfered it off him?!" He angrily accused.

"What?! NO! NO! I didn't kill anyone! Honest!" Patches pleaded.

The Ashen One examined his facial expression. While he was frightened, he also looked sincere. He didn't look like a killer, he was just a mischievous thief. There's no way he would've beaten Siegward, the guy who help him kill a Demon. He put the knife away, "Alright. If you didn't kill him, how did you manage to nab that armor?"

"He wasn't wearing it. I just found all the pieces lying around near the well outside the chapel." Patches claimed.

"Why would he not be wearing his armor?" The Ashen One wondered. "Whatever! That armor belongs to a friend of mine so I'm going to give it back to him. Would you kindly hand the pieces over?"

Patches raised his brow. "Well I was planning on selling it. Would you like to buy it?"

The Ashen One removed his helmet and showed the armor piercing glare that he was giving Patches. "Do you really want to test me right now?" He growled, a menacing tone in his voice.

"Okay! Okay! Here, take it!" the thief said and gave up the armor.

"Thank you for not making this difficult." The Ashen One said as he turned and walked away. He turned his head back to look at Patches. Seems like he was wrong about him. The thief was greedy and mischievous, but he wasn't malicious or evil. He could be annoying, but he didn't look like much of a threat. "You take care Patches."

* * *

Patches had said that he found Siegward's armor near the well outside the chapel, so that's exactly where the Ashen One went to find the knight of Catarina. It was strange. He looked around thoroughly, but there wasn't a trace of Siegward. Had Patches lied to him? Suddenly…

"Hello? Is anyone there?" A voice called out. The Ashen One turned around and hear the voice coming from inside the well. Was he really down in this well?

"Siegward?! Is that you?!" He called out.

"Oh! I recognize that voice! Hello friend! How long has it been?" The Knight of Catarina joyfully asked.

"Never mind that! How did you end up down there?" The Ashen One asked.

"Well I'm loathe to admit it, but I've been had. Someone's swiped my armor." He confessed.

The Ashen One was further confused. Yes his armor was stolen, but that didn't answer his question. "I understand that, but how did you…"

"Did you happen to see it anywhere?" Siegward interrupted him.

The Ashen One just sighed in defeat. He decided to just forget about what happened here. Maybe there are some things that one does not need to know. "Yeah. I found your armor. I'll toss it down to you." He replied. He dropped the armor down the well one piece at a time.

"Ah, oh! My armor! My deepest gratitude! I, Siegward of Catarina, salute you." He cheered from down the well.

"How are you going to get out of there? Do you want me to toss a rope down there?" The Ashen One offered.

"Oh, no need to worry about that. With my trusty suit of armor, I'll be out of here in a jiffy. Until we meet again, my good friend!" Siegward assured.

Siegward seemed to be confident that he could get out so the Ashen One decided to take his word for it.

 _He's a real nice guy, but he's also a bit of a strange one._

* * *

The Ashen One blazed through the Cathedral, now looking down the stairs that led to the fog door that led to Aldrich's coffin, where the man-eater should be. Before he walked down, he heard a distinct noise.

"A summon sign?"

Upon further inspection, the Ashen One saw it wasn't a summon sign to bring someone to help him. Rather, it was to have him summoned to someone else to help them.

"Anri of Astora!" He exclaimed as he realized the owner of the sign. He remembered talking to her, and how she has a real score to settle with the terrible Man-Eater, Aldrich. She was up against a Lord of Cinder, so she could use any help she could get. Plus, he'd be able to analyze the way Aldrich fights. He kneeled down and touched the summon sign. "I'm coming Anri!"

For a brief second, everything went black for the Ashen One; the next second he found himself in Anri and Horace's world. It was no surprise that Horace was accompanying her. He seemed to be like a brother to her. The two turned around to face him.

"It's you! I didn't think anyone would come, and yet of all people you were the one to show up." Anri rejoiced.

"I just thought you could use the help." He replied.

"We'll take all the help we can get!" Anri nodded. The Ashen One looked over to her companion dressed in the black set of executioner's armor.

"How's it going Horace?" He asked, simply getting a grunt in reply. "Good to know." He began gearing up, bringing a longsword and Lucerne for the fight. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go!"

The three passed through the fog door to be met with a surprise. It was not Aldrich that was waiting for them. Instead it was a massive hoard of Deacons of the Deep.

"What? This isn't right! He's supposed to be here!" Anri claimed.

The Ashen One looked up to Aldrich's massive coffin and saw that it had been opened. "His coffin is open! He must've moved some time ago." He deduced. "But we'll look more into that later. For now, we have to deal with these fools!"

* * *

The Deacons certainly were no warriors, as they were quite easily defeated by the three Unkindled. They relied more on their numbers than their fighting prowess, trying to get potshots with fireballs or sneak in a surprise attack while one of the fighters were busy engaging the other Deacons. They were no match in the end.

Anri was still conflicted. This was her lead on where Aldrich was, and it was a false one. She wasn't sure how to proceed.

"Just look around. There's gotta be something that'll tell us where he went." The Ashen One suggested. Horace suddenly grunted a few times to get Anri's attention. He was holding what appeared to be a doll.

"What's this Horace?" She asked as he handed the doll to her. She held it in her hand and suddenly froze up.

"Anri! What's wrong?!" The Ashen One cried out with concern. Shortly after she looked just fine.

"Irithyll! He's in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley!" She announced her revelation.

"How do you know that?"

"The doll! Somehow it was able to speak to me and tell me." She answered. "But just because you know that, you must still go back to your world, fight the Deacons, and retrieve this doll. You will need it to enter the Boreal Valley."

"Got it." The Ashen One nodded.

"Would you like us to assist you?" She asked.

"It's fine. I'll be able to handle these guys on my own. The two of you should get a head start and make your way to Irithyll." He said.

"Alright then. Stay safe! And thank you my friend." She said as she waved good bye as the Ashen One returned to his world.


End file.
